Use of quarry fines and/or limestone powder to reduce clinker content of cementitious compositions

Abstract

Quarry fines and/or limestone powder are used to reduce clinker content in concrete, mortar and other cementitious compositions, typically in combination with one or more pozzolanically active SCMs. Quarry fines and/or limestone powder can replace and/or augment a portion of hydraulic cement binder and/or fine aggregate. Quarry fines and/or limestone powder can advantageously replace a portion of cement binder and fine aggregate, acting as an intermediate that fills a particle size void between the largest cement particles and smallest fine aggregate particles. Supplemental lime can advantageously maintain or enhance balance of calcium ions in the mix water and/or pore solution. Supplemental sulfate can advantageously address sulfate deficiencies caused by high clinker reduction, use of water reducers and/or superplasticers, and SCMs containing aluminates. Such systematic approach to beneficially using quarry fines, limestone powder, SCMs, lime, and sulfate addresses many issues and permits high clinker reduction with similar or increased strength.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing augmented concrete by a concrete manufacturer incorporating quarry fines and/or limestone powder, comprising:
 A) according to a reference concrete mix design of the concrete manufacturer for a unit quantity of concrete having (i) a first design strength (σ), the concrete manufacturer manufacturing a reference concrete mix by combining:
 (ii) a first quantity of cementitious binder (cm) per the unit quantity of concrete; 
 (iii) a first quantity of aggregate (agg) per the unit quantity of concrete; 
 (iv) a first quantity of water (w) per the unit quantity of concrete to yield a reference concrete having (v) a first water-to-cementitious binder ratio (w/cm); and 
 (vi) optionally one or more additional components; and 
 
 B) according to an augmented concrete mix design having (i) a second design strength (σ′) at least a high as the first design strength (σ) and that replaces the reference concrete mix design, the concrete manufacturer manufacturing an augmented concrete mix by combining:
 (ii) a second quantity of cementitious binder (cm′) per the unit quantity of concrete; 
 (iii) a second quantity of aggregate (agg′) per the unit quantity of concrete; 
 (iv) a second quantity of water (w′) per the unit quantity of concrete to yield an augmented concrete having (v) a second water-to-cementitious binder ratio (w/cm′) that is greater than the first water-to-cementitious binder ratio (w/cm); 
 (v) a quantity of added quarry fines and/or limestone powder (qf) per the unit quantity of concrete so that the augmented concrete has (vii) a total unit powder quantity (p′) equal to cm′+qf per the unit quantity of concrete and (viii) a water-to-powder ratio (w/p′) less than w/cm; and 
 (vi) optionally one or more additional components. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein cm′ is less than cm. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein w′ is less than w. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reference concrete mix is devoid of added quarry fines or limestone powder (qf=0) such that the reference concrete mix has a total unit powder quantity (p) equal to cm. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein p′ is greater than cm. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein agg′ is less than agg. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 4 , wherein p′ is equal to or less than cm. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein agg′ is greater than agg. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein σis measured as compressive strength. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the augmented concrete mix has a Portland cement content (c′) that is less than 75%, by weight of a Portland cement content (c) of the reference concrete mix. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the unit quantity of concrete is 1 cubic yard (yd 3 ) or 1 cubic meter (m 3 ). 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the augmented concrete mix comprises mixture products of:
 ordinary Portland cement (OPC) having a d10 below about 3 μm and a d90 between about 35 μm and about 45 μm; 
 at least one supplementary cementitious material selected from the group consisting of ground granulated blast furnace slag GGBFS, fly ash, natural pozzolan, and silica fume; 
 quarry fines and/or limestone powder having a d90 between about 50 μm and about 300 μm; 
 aggregate; and 
 water. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the quarry fines and/or limestone powder comprises waste materials from an aggregate quarry. 
     
     
       14. A method of manufacturing augmented concrete by a concrete manufacturer incorporating quarry fines and/or limestone powder, comprising:
 A) identifying a reference concrete mix design of the concrete manufacturer for a unit quantity of concrete having:
 (i) a first design strength (σ); 
 (ii) a first quantity of cementitious binder (cm) per the unit quantity of concrete; 
 (iii) a first quantity of aggregate (agg) per the unit quantity of concrete; 
 (iv) a first quantity of water (w) per the unit quantity of concrete; 
 (v) a first water-to-cementitious binder ratio (w/cm); and 
 (vi) optionally one or more additional components; 
 
 B) the concrete manufacturer preparing or obtaining an augmented concrete mix design to replace the reference concrete mix design, the revised concrete mix design having:
 (i) a second design strength (σ′) at least a high as the first design strength (σ); 
 (ii) a second quantity of cementitious binder (cm′) per the unit quantity of concrete; 
 (iii) a second quantity of aggregate (agg) per the unit quantity of concrete; 
 (iv) a second quantity of water (w′) per the unit quantity of concrete; 
 (v) a second water-to-cementitious binder ratio (w/cm ′) greater than w/cm; 
 (vi) a quantity of added quarry fines and/or limestone powder (qf) per the unit quantity of concrete; 
 (vii) a total powder quantity (p′) per the unit quantity of concrete equal to cm′+qf, 
 (viii) a water-to-powder ratio (w/p′) less than w/cm; and 
 
 (ix) optionally one or more additional components; and 
 C) the concrete manufacturer manufacturing an augmented concrete mix according to the augmented concrete mix design. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , the augmented concrete mix yielding an augmented hardened concrete with a strength of at least σ. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the reference concrete mix design includes no added quarry fines and/or limestone powder. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , the method comprising preparing or obtaining a plurality of augmented concrete mix designs to replace a plurality of corresponding reference concrete mix designs and manufacturing a plurality of corresponding augmented concrete mixes according to the plurality of augmented concrete mix designs. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the augmented concrete mix comprises mixture products of:
 ordinary Portland cement (OPC) having a d10 below about 3 μm and a d90 between about 35 μm and about 45 μm; 
 at least one supplementary cementitious material selected from the group consisting of ground granulated blast furnace slag, fly ash, natural pozzolan, and silica fume; 
 quarry fines and/or limestone powder having a d90 between about 50 μm and about 300 μm; 
 aggregate; and 
 water. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 14 , the augmented concrete mix comprising:
 ordinary Portland cement (OPC) having a d10 below about 3 μm and a d90 between about 35 μm and about 45 μm; ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) having a d90 between about 15 μm and about 25 μm; 
 quarry fines and/or limestone powder having a d90 in a range of about 50 μm and about 300 μm and a d10 between about 2 μm and about 50 μm; 
 coarse aggregate comprising aggregates retained on a No. 4 sieve (4.75 mm); 
 fine aggregate comprising aggregates passing a No. 4 sieve (4.75 mm) and retained on a No. 100 sieve (150 μm); and 
 water. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the quarry fines and/or limestone powder comprises waste materials from an aggregate quarry.